1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manually operated control apparatus for self-propelled machinery which includes lawn mowers, tillers, snow blowers and the like, and more particularly to a control lever assembly therefor having first and second manually operated controls for controlling respective clutches in order to apply power to a set of self-propelling drive wheels and for controlling the power applied to an implement such as a lawn mower blade.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self-propelled machines followed by and controlled by an operator are generally well known and take many forms including, among other things, lawn mowers, snow blowers, tillers, floor scrappers and sanders, and masonry saws used in connection with roadway construction.
Such equipment typically includes at least one control lever for engaging a set of drive wheels which thereupon act to propel the machinery across a work surface. Additionally, it is also well known to include a second control lever for activating an implement such as a cutting blade.
More recently the two control levers have become interrelated, a typical example being the arrangement shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,401, entitled, "Control Lever Assembly In A Self-Propelled Lawn Mower", which issued to M. Takamizawa et al on Sep. 3, 1985 and which is assigned to the assignee of this invention. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,401, a control lever assembly is described for a self-propelled lawn mower which includes a first control lever for selectively connecting and disconnecting a first clutch for applying power from a prime mover to a set of propelling wheels and a second control lever for selectively connecting and disconnecting a second clutch between the prime mover and a grass cutting blade. The two control levers, moreover, are interconnected so that power can be selectively applied to either the wheels, the cutting blade, or both, as required.
It is to this latter type of apparatus that the present invention is directed.